I often times wonder, which of the two major political parties has done more damage to the Guyanese psyche? I know that you have probably asked yourself that question too. Over the years the PPP and the PNC have really messed up the Guyanese people. However, somewhere in the back of their heads, the Guyanese people seem to think that these same political parties that broke them can turn around and fix them.
And that might as well have been a plausible reality, if those who now lead these to entrenched parties, were of the patriotic mind set, in order to really fix Guyana. However, every time they open their mouths or every time we observe their attitudes, we see only selfishness, double talk, lies and corruption.
Mr. Jagdeo was in New York recently and he called a collection of his most loyal supporters together to spill his trademark of bile and hatred. In his usual ranting style, he told his supporters that the Coalition government is taking the country back to the days when they had to flee the country for safety and betterment. Imagine that, the most recent past President of Guyana and leader of the PPP, is telling the folks seated in the United States, many younger than 23 years old, that the Coalition is making Guyanese run from Guyana.
It is as if Mr. Jagdeo does not listen to himself. How can he say those things and get away with it? How can he speak those words and not be challenged? Guyanese would well remember that while Burnham and the PNC caused thousands of Guyanese to flee from Guyana, the exodus did not stop when the PPP came into power. In fact, when President Jagan was President, the migration lessened as the country became more peaceful and the fortunes look a bit promising.
However, when Bharrat Jagdeo took over and the corruption and murders were spiraling out of control, the migration from Guyana jumped back up. Many of those people from Richman Hill who were listening to Jagdeo, are amongst the ones who fled Guyana under the reign of Jagdeo, and many of them know of family and friends who ran to Canada and other Caribbean countries because of the policies of Jagdeo.
Now he is New York selling himself as Guyana’s messiah in waiting. He also spoke of the need for Constitutional reform. Would my brothers and sisters in New York, United Republican Party (URP) would like to ask that you all please be reminded that this man was in power for 12 consecutive years. If he was serious about constitutional reform, he would have done – while in power – what he is now suggesting needs to be done. Jagdeo is so power hungry that he supported a move to undo the two-term presidency and even accepted the leadership of the PPP, after being President for 12 years. Who does these things, except narcissistic despot, who thinks that the world revolves around them?
The PPP and the PNC are playing games with the Guyanese people. The Coalition Government is now making the Diaspora jump through hoops to get a seat at the administrative table. They went to NY, Canada and the Caribbean and promised the Guyanese people abroad that if they support the APNU/AFC, they would include them in aiding with the governance of the Country. Now after two years, the Diaspora is still to have an official outfit at the Office of the Presidency. The University of Guyana has now undertaken to have a forum on Diaspora matters, to seek to do what the leaders of the Government promised that they would have done. Members of the Diaspora are hoping that this will win the attention of the Government. The URP wishes them luck.
Many Guyanese are just frustrated and discouraged. 2020 can’t come quick enough.
The PPP rumor mill is beginning to grease itself and retool for the upcoming elections. No doubt the United Republican Party (URP) is clearly in their sights. I have received several calls from prominent PPP executives, who think that what my party is doing is going to “split” the PPP votes. What they really mean – whenever they talk about “splitting” – is that because I am Indian, fellow Indians will vote for my party and that will weaken the PPP’s chances of winning.
I have always seen this race-baiting and ethnic-appealing, as a vile, racist, bigoted approach to local politics. Guyana has never been a country whose electorate has ever voted based purely on issues. We have been dogged by the scourge of racial and ethnic tensions for as many years. And even thought we see that it has damaged us and our children and that it continues to hamstring us and our future, it seems that our politicians will never let up.
So I was not the least surprised when the PPP sent out that fake email, purporting it to have come from the current Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Basil Williams. In that email the PPP claimed that the URP is working for the Government to win Indian votes to the Coalition. The PPP is known for their rumor mongering and their subtle and blatant racist rants and attacks. These are old strategies that have worked for them for many years. However, with the changing demographics of Guyana, those approaches are becoming worn out.
The URP was around since 1985. We were approached by many folks to join the now tattering APNU. We refused because we knew that the PNC would stifle the smaller parties and continue in their old PNC-ways. So we opted to not join the APNU and to go it ourselves. We were the only party other than the larger two, to contest the National and Regional Elections, in every Region, in the 2015 elections. None of the current parties that now make up the APNU was able to do that.
So we know that the PPP and the Coalition have long have their eye on us. They suspect that folks are looking at us and they are agreeing with what we stand for. For many years the country has been in the wicked grip of racial tension and backwards political ideologies. And we challenge those old statuesque. They are beginning to be concerned that if sufficient Guyanese awake to the political realities in Guyana, the URP can etch out some of their support and win some seats in the Parliament. This of course would mess up the balance of power between the two parties that have long strangled the Guyanese people. So they are beginning their mudslinging.
Well, we welcome it. This letter is not designed to complain. We are just amused and thankful to God, that after these many years in the political arena, we are making the kind of progress to attract the ire of the larger parties. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. The URP is bracing for the fight. Bring it on!